Best Bachelor’s in Social Work Degree Programs
Social Work Undergraduate Programs
Social workers support communities by providing social services, helping clients manage mental health disorders, mentoring children, and connecting clients with resources.
A bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) can pave the way to a meaningful and in-demand career assisting society’s most vulnerable people and groups as a licensed baccalaureate social worker (LBSW). Specific job duties vary by specialty, state, and employer. Yet, as a social worker you can help people access community resources, like healthcare or food stamps, respond to crisis situations, like child abuse, and provide counseling or psychotherapy for individuals, couples, and families.
Professional social workers need a bachelor’s in social work at a minimum. Find the best schools for social work, as well as common career options for graduates.
Top Programs for a Bachelors in Social Work
How We Choose These Schools
At TheBestSchools, we pride ourselves on our proprietary ranking methodology to help prospective students like you find the best fit. Our ranking system uses data from the U.S. Department of Education to evaluate schools without bias while accounting for key factors like academic quality, online offerings, and affordability.
This ranking is from 2022. Learn more about how our formula works on our ranking methodology page.
What Is Social Work?
Social workers support individuals, families, and communities struggling with issues such as poverty, mental health disorders, and behavioral issues. Social workers may help clients access social services and address problems through behavior modification. Many social workers at the master’s level also provide counseling services.
Social workers have several specialization options. For example, school social workers help children and adolescents overcome challenges at school, while substance use and behavioral social workers help clients manage substance use disorders and behavioral problems. Clinical social workers diagnose and treat behavioral and mental health disorders.
The largest employers of social workers are local and state government agencies, individual and family services, and ambulatory healthcare services.
What Is a Bachelor’s in Social Work Degree?
A bachelor’s degree in social work prepares students for entry-level, generalist positions in social work. Graduates of social work bachelor’s programs can also apply to online master of social work programs.
Many students need or prefer the flexibility and convenience of earning a social work degree. Typical social work majors include college students who know they want to become social workers, working professionals who want to change fields, and healthcare administration professionals who want to advance their career and earning potential by earning a BSW.
Bachelor’s in social work programs provide a foundational understanding of the history, major theories, and practices of the profession. Programs cover case management, human growth and development, and professional identity. Students gain critical thinking, advocacy, communication, and interpersonal skills.
Choosing a Program
Students looking for bachelor’s in social work programs have a lot to consider when choosing a degree, including individual career goals and academic interests, cost, accreditation, program length and flexibility, and specializations.
Read on to learn more about how to choose the right social work degree.
What Else Can I Expect From a Bachelor’s in Social Work Program?
Bachelor’s in social work (BSW) students develop foundational social work skills like case management, crisis intervention, and treatment planning.
A typical curriculum offers courses in social work research, human behavior in the social environment, basic skills for social work practice, and diversity and multiculturalism. Many social work bachelor’s programs do not offer concentrations, instead focusing on preparing students for general practice social work.
Students who plan to pursue a master of social work should use their electives to gain specialized knowledge during undergraduate studies.
Bachelor’s in Social Work Curriculum
- Social Work Practice: This course covers common social work environments, the skills required for specialist and generalist social work, and the core values of the field. Students explore the modern social service system and different models for providing social work services. The course also covers topics like levels of intervention, theoretical social work foundations, and client services.
- Social Service Delivery Systems: This course introduces social work majors to U.S. social policy and service delivery systems. Students learn about social services, mental health, and healthcare systems, with an emphasis on the historical development of these systems and their current challenges. The course also addresses specialized social services for distinct populations, such as the elderly and children.
- Human Behavior in the Social Environment: This course covers the development of social environments and human behavior within those environments. Students examine the role of culture in shaping individual values, worldviews, and beliefs with a focus on the way society shapes personal identity. The course also explores human development across the lifespan.
Social Work Specializations
Mental Health and Substance Use
Social workers who specialize in mental health and substance use help individuals struggling with mental health challenges and addiction. This specialization explores mental health assessment, trauma, substance use intervention policy, and suicide risk assessment. Students who plan to pursue an MSW and become clinical social workers can benefit from this specialization.
Community Social Work
This specialization focuses on working directly with specific communities to improve daily life for people in that community. Community social workers often work on particular issues with citizens, nonprofit groups, and government agencies. For example, they may help start a new school or create a public health initiative.
Child, Family, and School
Child, family, and school social workers typically offer support to children and their families. They can work both in and outside of school settings, including at government agencies and social service agencies. Job duties may include conducting training for school staff, helping parents with children who struggle with behavioral issues in school, and intervening when a child experiences bullying.
Careers in Social Work
There are many specialities that you can pursue after earning a bachelor’s in social work. However, note that some careers require at least a master’s in social work, so it’s important to check with local licensure requirements and potential employers if you are pursuing one of these social work careers.
Social Workers
| Median Salary: $61,330 | Projected Job Growth: 6% |
Social Workers help people overcome and deal with struggles in their everyday lives. Typical job duties may include helping a student experiencing bullying, connecting a family with community resources like food stamps, or helping a victim of domestic violence find emergency housing. Professional social workers be able to quickly and effectively solve problems while remaining calm.
Social workers need a bachelor’s degree in social work at minimum to qualify for generalist social work positions in most states. However, some states require licensed social workers to have a master’s degree in social work. Some social work jobs require a master of social work or clinical licensure.
Substance Use and Behavioral Disorder Counselors
| Median Salary: $59,190 | Projected Job Growth: 17% |
Substance Use and Behavioral Disorder Counselors help people who struggle with behavioral disorders and addiction. Job duties vary by specialization, but they may include evaluating clients’ readiness for treatment, creating treatment goals with clients and their families, and referring clients to other services and resources.
Most substance use and behavioral disorder counselors need at least bachelor’s degree. Some states may require a master’s degree. All states require licensure for substance use and behavioral disorder counselors working in private practice. Licensure requirements vary by state for those outside of private practice
Social and Community Service Managers
| Median Salary: $78,240 | Projected Job Growth: 6% |
Social and community service managerscoordinate programs and initiatives that promote public well-being, usually under the auspices of a government or nonprofit organization. They may write funding proposals, identify necessary programs and services with the help of stakeholders, analyze program effectiveness, and manage outreach to promote programs.
Most social and community service managers need at least a bachelor’s degree in social work or a related field and relevant professional experience. Some social and community service manager positions require a master’s degree.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bachelor’s Degrees in Social Work
How Long Does It Take to Complete a Bachelor’s in Social Work Program?
It usually takes students four years to earn a bachelor’s in social work. Transfer students and students who already hold an associate degree can graduate in less time.
What Can I Do With a Bachelor’s in Social Work?
A bachelor’s in social work prepares graduates for jobs as social workers, case managers, and social services managers. It also meets educational admission requirements for most master of social work (MSW) programs.
How Much Do You Make as a Social Worker?
The BLS reports that social workers make a median annual salary of $61,330 .
What Is a Social Worker?
Social workers help people solve problems in their everyday lives. Typical job duties include referring clients to resources to meet clients’ basic needs, maintaining records, responding to crisis situations, and helping clients fill out paperwork for assistance programs.
What Is a Bachelor’s in Social Work?
A bachelor’s degree in social work prepares graduates to apply for master’s in social work programs, bachelor’s level social work licensure in most states, and entry-level jobs as generalist social workers and case managers.